Marijuana Legalization in Texas

It saddens me that whenever someone asks me where I am from, they laugh and ask if I own a cow or a horse. Yes, people, I am from Texas and NO: I am NOT a Republican. Despite what the rest of the country thinks about us (and likely, a great deal of the world) I am a rather forward thinking, fiscally conservative, and socially liberal about my politics and Marijuana Legalization in Texas is on the forefront. Now, with that being said, I AM also from one of the most progressive and fourth largest metropolitan cities in the United States: Houston. I own dogs, not livestock.
Texas Legalization: With all that being said (and in lighthearted jest, may I add), I would like to iterate to those of you reading this, that the want to move forward with the legalization of cannabis in the state of Texas has been one of the most pressing issues in Houston to people of my peer group. Although the laws here in Texas are very stiff and the opposition is very strong, NORML has made positive step to make sure that the support remains strong. The passing of marijuana reformation laws in Colorado and Washington are a step in the right direction.
State and local industry: Despite our attempts to move forward on this hot button issue, it is a sad truth that “You have powerful money trying to keep things the way they are. The strongest opponents [to legalization] are in the police and criminal justice industry," states Howard Wooldridge, who founded Law Enforcement against Prohibition in 2003. More and more taxpayer money is going to the prohibition of marijuana when the states local resources can be used for more constructive means.
We will continue to fight for marijuana legalization in Texas, but it will be a hard uphill battle for all involved. With "strong" money backing the prohibition of cannabis in such a conservative state, it is hard to say when prohibition will come to an end. With that being said, Texans do have a legal choice: move to a state that has already legalized for medical or recreational use. Good luck with that, y’all!